Adult-education classes in Florida now come with fees

Florida educators worry that a new fee on adult-education classes will force students to drop out of a program meant to help them secure work or higher-paying jobs.

Starting this month, the state is requiring colleges, adult centers and other schools to charge $90 to $360 a year for adult-education courses, an array of classes that help students master basic skills, prepare for the GED exam and learn to speak English. Previously, the program was free.........

DON'T DISCOURAGED IF YOU DO NOT HAVE YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.  Save your monies and be ready to pay the fees for your BETTERMENT!

Research & Statistics » Facts & Figures

http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/facts.html

ED's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the main federal organization responsible for collecting and analyzing data related to education.

The NCES FastFacts page provides quick statistical answers to basic questions about education, such as Are American students performing better in reading now than in the past? and How many educational institutions exist in the U.S.?

The Nation's Report Card presents the results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which measures student achievement in the U.S. in various subjects over time.

The Tables and Figures search lets you search from one location all the tables, figures, and charts published in a number of large data collections and publications.

NCES provides data tools that let you locate schools with certain characteristics, build custom tables from NCES data, and view state and school district profiles.

On The Blog

USA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION BLOG

 

http://www.ed.gov/p-12-reform

 

Duncan: "Fix No Child Left Behind – Now" (June 13)

Another school year is coming to a close, and schools across the country are still operating under the restrictive rules of No Child Left Behind.

NCLB: 'Getting in the Way of Where We Need to Go' (June 9)

Secretary Duncan emphasized once again that we need to fix NCLB in real time, not Washington time.

Now's the Time to Act on NCLB (June 2)

Fixing No Child Left Behind (NCLB) "can't be done in Washington time. It has to be in real people's time," said Secretary Duncan on Tuesday at Dayton's Bluff Achievement Plus...

Agriscience Teacher Terry Cornett Grows His Own (May 27)

Agriscience teachers prepare students for one of the nation's oldest and most-rewarding industries: growing safe and healthy food. Terry Cornett makes agriscience come alive for his students at...

Stakeholders Express Frustration Over Lack of Change in ESEA (May 26)

This week, national organizations representing school boards, superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and other stakeholders sent Secretary of Education Arne Duncan a letter asking for...

Obama Administration Announces Proposed Requirements for Race to the Top-Early Learning Grants

Stakeholders invited `to provide input until 5 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 11

July 1, 2011

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/obama-administration-announces-proposed-requirements-race-top-early-learning-gra

The Obama Administration published today proposed competition criteria for the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge, and invited public input through 5 p.m. EDT on Monday July, 11 2011.

The proposal outlines draft requirements, priorities, selection criteria, and definitions in accordance with the program's purpose—to improve the quality of early childhood programs and close the kindergarten readiness gap for high-need children. Proposed criteria ask applicants to build successful state systems, promote early learning and development outcomes, implement high quality, accountable programs, and support a great early childhood education workforce......

 

HUH!!!??? Indiana removes cursive writing from school curriculum http://tinyurl.com/3ncy3f8

Indiana removes cursive writing from school curriculum   

 http://tinyurl.com/3ncy3f8

 

"I think cursive writing is not only a way of communicating, it's still an elegant way of communicating."

Elegant maybe, but in Indiana schools, cursive writing is headed the way of the ink well and the chalkboard. The flowing handwriting, often called "long hand" or "script" will no longer be required learning in Indiana's public schools. Instead, students will focus more on typing.

So, is cursive just about dead?..........

Do longer school days work? http://tinyurl.com/3s9x6y2

Do longer school days work?
Chicago officials are pushing to lengthen the school day and year to raise student achievement even as recent test scores show the effect of more classroom time is unclear. State test scores released this week show that charter schools -- which have extended school days -- achieved nearly the same results as neighborhood schools that do not. "Just extending a school day doesn't mean, by itself, that you're going to have high-performing schools," said Noemi Donoso, chief education officer for Chicago schools. "It's not going to be simple."

Data reveals gaps in educational opportunities for U.S. students http://tinyurl.com/3lhh7e2

Data reveals gaps in educational opportunities for U.S. students

http://tinyurl.com/3lhh7e2

Students' access to early education, rigorous academics and experienced teachers and counselors varies widely across the country, according to federal data released Thursday on 72,000 schools in 7,000 districts. For example, the study by the Education Department's Office for Civil Rights found that nearly 3,000 high schools in the U.S. do not offer Algebra II courses and fewer than 25% of districts offer free preschool for low-income children. Officials said understanding the findings would be an important step in remedying opportunity gaps for U.S. students.......